Movie Ratings and My Own Opinion

I would like to say I am a movie conosour. I have been watching them for decades, forming opinions as I go along, and deciding which ones I want to see again and again. I've found through the years that my opinions can change quickly about a movie. For example, when I was very religious and made my stand about certain films, I didn't give "my" opinion, but based an opinion on what I was "supposed" to watch or enjoy. This was based on what someone else said I was "allowed" to watch or enjoy. Thus, I didn't like Terms of Endearment, even though the entire world found it incredibly funny and gut wrenchingly awesome enough to vote it an Academy Award winner in 1983, with eleven nominations and five Oscars. Why didn't I like it? Looking back, I have no clue. I watched it again after I decided to go back to my roots and take back the option of having my own opinion. I loved it, scratched my head about what I didn't like to begin with. It was probably because it had swearing in it, along with an old woman trying to make it with a retired astronaut or the fact that the parents would kick the kids out onto the porch so they could have sex and make yet another baby. All those "bad" things were probably why I chose to kick it out.

I didn't like the movie 300 the first time I saw it even though my eldest child fell in love with it. She loved the brawny and scantilly clad muscle men in it (this was what she told me she liked about it). Why didn't I like it? Because it was so violent (but I love Pulp Fiction). Because it showed killing in slow motion, blood spewing out so slow you could see where each drop landed. Because the wife, son and the wheat fields scenes came too close to copying one of my most loved movies The Gladiator. Because it seemed nuts that 300 men would stand to fight an incredibly huge army such as Persia's King Xerxes had, and believe they had a chance of winning. But I was camping last year and everyone went out to the lake to fish. I stayed behind and watched this movie again and found I really liked it. What changed my mind? Was it that so many others liked it? No, though I will admit others opinions do help form mine. It was because I saw the beauty of the way the movie was made. The choreography of the fight scenes done in slo-mo was now more amazing than threatening. The lighting was dim and almost bluish red so it gave the movie a "Roman" feel (even though it was Greek). And I have to admit seeing all those muscles was a nice change from what we normally get to see (scantilly clad women).

So I'm reading The Rolling Stone magazine and find in the January issue a film critics letter with a scathing memo printed to look like a letter inset sideways on the page addressed to the Academy. It is written and signed by a Peter Travers. I googled his name cuz I don't know who would dare have guts enough to use the "f" word when speaking to the Academy and find out he is the Rolling Stones film critic. I look up what movies he has critiqued and find that most of the movies he likes have some type of violence in them. For instance. He liked Kill Bill. I like Quentin Tarentino but the "Bill" movies hardly kept my interest. He liked Super Bad and Knocked Up. I loved Knocked up, but it seemed to me that they just thought the fat curly headed dude was so funny in Knocked Up for his blatent and cutting sense of humor that they went overboard and just let him fly off at the mouth in Super Bad. It was too much. I like frosting but too much of it makes me scrape it off the cake.

So what makes one opinion better than another? Like I said, Travers movie pics tend to be hard core with violence. He seems to "like" those type movies. I looked up Pride and Prejudice under Rotten Tomatoes, the web site Travers and a bunch of other critics display their wares and was amazed at the positive reviews most of the critics gave for this most beloved movie. Travers gave it 3/4 tomatoes. Not bad for one who runs with the violent. He also gave Pans Labyrinth 4/4 tomatoes and I have to agree with him (again some pretty violent parts in that movie....... so bad I have to turn my head in one scene). What an amazing movie. I followed it completely and don't speak Spanish. But he also gave the Pursuit of Happyness 3/4 tomatoes and I don't agree here. The movie is 94% sad and the last ten minutes has some happy. I bought it and wish I hadn't. I won't watch it again. It has been from such movies that we have adopted the watch it first then buy it if you like it motto. I also purchased Happy Feet, Blood Diamond and 23 basing those purchases on what others said about the movies as being "grrrrrrrrrrrreat". I feel I wasted my money and gave Blood Diamond away. New motto still stands...... watch then buy if you like it.

So why such a long blog on movies? I can't help it, I love movies. I would go out more if it didn't cost $9.00 a ticket. I would love to be on the cutting edge, watching before everyone else does so I could give my opinion first. I would also love to watch more foreign films, and films that no one knows about. Maybe when all I can do is lay in bed I will become the movie critic I want to be.

Future plans for movies........... The Atonement is next. It is the right stuff for Kiera Knightly (she creamed Domino). Just saw American Gangster. I liked it. Won't watch it again. I like Denzel Washington. He's cute and all but he plays his parts the same each time. He hits someone in the head without breaking a sweat or producing a wrinkle on that dreamy black face. Russell Crowe, however, can play it violent or sweet, he uses hair changes or accent changes to pull off his characters with something new each time. He is an amazing actor.

I also just saw Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Aub asked if Cate was Oscar worthy. Nah. But I love period films and will have both Elizabeths in my collection. The backdrops, sets and costumes are wonderful. Cate Blanchett is another amazing actress, and she was excellent in this movie. It isn't that she needed to play the part any better, but that the part itself didn't really demand an Oscar performance.

In my opinion, Reese Witherspoon shouldn't have won best actress last year. Amazing work to be able to pull off the character of June Carter Cash and do all the singing herself. Props to her. But, as far as acting goes, Felicity Huffman should have taken the Oscar in TransAmerica. I can't imagine how difficult it would be, being a woman, to play the part of a man readying to become a woman. Her vocal inflections and awkwardness, the way she carried herself, the costuming, even her body shape was so convincing. I can't imagine how difficult it was to think through the part, play it like a guy/girl/guy. Who can do such a thing and pull it off? Felicity did. Her "Acting" should have won her the Oscar. Why didn't she? Good question. Everyone has their own opinion. Travers opinion isn't going to make the Academy be anything other than what it has been. There will be more winners that shouldn't win. Disappointments like Felicity must have had. Movies getting ignored. It's all good. When it comes right down to it, you take what someone else says about a movie, put it on the back burner, watch for yourself and then form your own opinion. Then you share it on your blogspot.

Across the Universe

I have only a couple of minutes to say a couple of things about this movie.

EXCELLENT!!!!!! That's one thing. The other: Now I must purchase both the soundtrack and the movie. I want to write a novel about this film but I have only ten minutes to get out of here and go to work so I will write my novel later.

WOW! What a rush! I have waited for so long to see this film. I first saw the previews in the movie theatre and wrote down the title in the dark. I missed it on big screen and was really bumbed. I had plans to take my sis to see it when I was in Utah last and it wasn't playing anymore. It has been months since I saw the first preview and at last I my wait is over. I'll write my review later.

Losing stuff

I keep a running journal of my exercise, how I feel, how many push ups I do, how long my aerobics portion of the workout is etc. and was stupid enough to take my little book with me on my jaunts to the store. I wrote out my needed items from the store and the weeks menu in the pages of my little workout journal and now I can't find it. I'm in a contest at work to see who works out the most. I feel I'm a slacker because I can't give my last 4 weeks workout results due to the loss of my journal. I can't seem to think of anything else except finding it.

Aub is struggling with locating her cell phone. Little Clara carted it off leaving it alone to die, unable to sound an alarm as to it's whereabouts. Now I can't contact Aub except when Nate is home.

Nathan (my Nathan) has this uncanny problem with losing his keys, his measuring tape, his cell phone, his wallet. In fact, his father made comment about how funny it is that Nate will go and go and go fixing things or building things, but his worst problems is relocating his tools from the last time he set them down.

I use prayer alot to relocate things and believe it or not, most the time I find them. So I ask, why is it that god can help me find my keys, or my wallet, but I don't seem to get the needed answers for the things I feel are REALLY important. (Not that finding my keys isn't important, but it won't SAVE MY SOUL). I pray for my son all the time. I pray he will become more respectful, and start valueing his lungs and health. Then I start to wonder how god would answer this. Would it be by Whit having a real bad pneumonia, or losing a parent? I don't want those things to happen either. So I don't know how this prayer would be answered. I tend to wonder if I would like the actual way god would bring about this request.

God did answer a very important prayer, and Aub and Nate now have a new car. What a relief. It's so hard to hear about your childrens struggles and not be able to help them because they are too far away to lend a hand. What a feeling of frustration. Like a mother wolf looking at her pup with it's foot stuck in a trap, unable to help it. That's how I felt with when Aub and Nate had the issue with the car. So this very important prayer was answered.

Why does it seem these hangups in life take so much more time to answer than something that is as simple as relocating your keys or wallet?

Who knows?

Another One Flys the Coup

The carpet shows stains and needs to be cleaned. It's easier to see the dirt now that her dresser is gone. The sink area is devoid of make-up and hairspray. No curling irons in the drawers. Only left-over sparkles from the eye shadow I bought her a few Christmas's ago. I put some on my eyelids. It doesn't look as good on me as it does her. No pictures of Moulin Rouge or Parker cover the walls, only blank spots and holes.

I yelled at her for making a decision about moving before she included me and made her feel bad. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to be included in her life. She has always been so independent, it's been tough getting close to her sometimes. I didn't mean to discourage her independence. I am actually very proud of her and all the things she has done for herself.

She was home for a few minutes the other day and was so happy that now she may have a chance at a job closer to where she will live. I could see a sparkle in her eyes and recalled how she mentioned that my conversation about her move made her feel she was making the wrong decision, then the interview for the job in the Springs confirmed that she was going in the right direction. I congratulated her and said it must be a sign. From that point I knew she'd be gone.

I didn't think it would come this fast. Only yesterday my Winker was sucking her thumb and dancing in my checkered skirt. Didn't she just graduate from Junior High? All those beautiful dance dresses that only a month ago I moved into her closet from mine are now with her in her new home. Her new home away from home.

I knew it was coming. She was hardly ever home. I hope she doesn't stay away forever.

I love you Heather and will miss having you live with me.

Mom

Year End Contemplation

Recap the Year 2007

January:
Nate H turns 22

February:
Purshased my Life Fitness Treadmill and Hoist Universal weight machine.

March:
Aub, Nate and Claralynne came to Colorado from Texas. Aub stayed with us and Nate left for A-School March 31st. Whit turns 18.

April:
Aub and Claralynne continue to delight us with their presence.

May:
Nate and Aub move to Michigan (boo hoo). Aub turns 23. One year post cancer survival for my dad.

June:
Whit graduates from Douglas County High...... Hip hip hurray....... Now I can breathe

July:
Nate and I drive to Utah, spend time with Lori, Scott and family. Go camping and boating.

August:
My dad turns 75 years old

September:
Claralynn turned one year old on the 20th

October:
Whit and I fly to Utah to get his braces and to spend time with Lori at Halloween. My most beloved Border Collie Soda Pop goes missing on the 2nd and found and buried on the 6th. Aub finds out she is pregga with baby number 2!!

November:
Heather turns 21 so now she can have a margarita at Applebys. Worked on Thanksgiving but had the feast the day after.

December:
I turn 46, Nate 47, Veloy 78, Earl 79. Christmas, had my two kids here for a few hours on Christmas Day. Work New Years Eve.

Celebration

Carolers came to Sky Ridge and sang up and down the halls of the hospital. It gave me chills and I wanted to follow them around. I got the groups card and it had an invitation to a Christmas Eve performance. I was determined to go even if it meant going it alone. Whit went with friends. Heather with Parker. That left Nate. He came willingly.

The service included a small..... I guess you'd call it an orchestra because it wasn't a band, yet it had drums and an electric guitar, flutes, violins etc. There was a choir and a presentation about gifts, mainly the gift of Jesus. The auditorium was at least as big as the one at Bingham High and it was jam packed with people.

They had an overhead screen which displayed pictures and the words to the hymns. I really liked that you could clap after a performance. I've always disliked the fact that a Mormon service was without applause. The choir wasn't the same one as the one at the hospital, but I didn't care, it was good to be there. It felt good to sing hymns with other people. It felt good to be able to be with other people in a setting of love and kindness.

Nate has become quite synical about Christ and it has sadly rubbed off on me. But I must say I enjoyed the service and plan to start including more of the things I'd like to do like this in my life.

Life is Fragile

News of the death of singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg has brought me to tears. I really loved his music and am sad that he has gone. But more than that, it causes me to reflect on how very fortunate I am to still have my father. Dan died of prostate cancer after battling it for three years. My father underwent prostatectomy for prostate cancer only six months after the death of his wife, my mother, and he did it alone. He is currently cancer free. I love my father so much and can't even look down that road when I'll have to say good-bye to him,
(not just because I'll have to figure out what to do with the monstrosity of garbagical items I'll have to go through) because he has been such a pillar of love and strength to me in my life.

Dan has written so many songs that have touched my heart. The kind of song you hope to hear on the radio again and again. "Same Old Lang Syne" and "Leader of the Band" and "Longer Than" have always been some of my favorite songs. In fact I was just listening to "Same Old Lang Syne" on the radio the other day driving down the road. I can't even describe how much I love that song. It is probably one my favorites. It takes me back to high school with prior loves and I cry every time I hear it.

Go to his website. Listen to his music and thank god you're still here.


I'm grateful my father is.